WOW!!! I GOT SKYPE WORKING!! I just talked to D in REAL TIME!!!! I feel like I have leveled up... evolved in a sense... expect a new avatar when I get out of work tonite. Good lord am I proud. Thanks for the support guys. I could not/would not have done this without u :)

I am incredibly torn on rather or not to get this game. I'm sure I would positively adore it for the first 5 hours, but I really can't see myself getting enjoyment out of turning a beat 'em up into a loot grinder. I'm sure there is a swarm of people out there with this same view as me who will be purchasing it, so I can definitely see used copies showing up for half-price within 2 months from now. But if I go that route, then I'm not supporting the development of games I would like to see exist, a sad offense to glorious dancing wizard mice everywhere. Hmm...

I am incredibly torn on rather or not to get this game. I'm sure I would positively adore it for the first 5 hours, but I really can't see myself getting enjoyment out of turning a beat 'em up into a loot grinder. I'm sure there is a swarm of people out there with this same view as me who will be purchasing it, so I can definitely see used copies showing up for half-price within 2 months from now. But if I go that route, then I'm not supporting the development of games I would like to see exist, a sad offense to glorious dancing wizard mice everywhere. Hmm...

I don't see people playing this for an extended period of time unless the online service and the item system are significant enough honestly. Waiting 2 months to play will probably kill online fun unless you get a dedicated group of people.

Just got my shipment notice from Amazon. Looking forward to playing this with my wife. I'm always looking for good couch co-op games like this. Between this and Diablo III next month, we should be set for a while....

"Dragon's Crown is a fantasy RPG beat 'em up from Vanillaware (George Kamitani) with music by Basiscape (Hitoshi Sakimoto). Its gameplay is similar to the old Capcom D&D arcade games, Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara, but it has loot systems similar to Diablo / Torchlight / Borderlands and a skill system for character customization.

Dragon's Crown also has local and online co-op as well as a small PvP arena. It's a beautiful, addictive game with tons of action and style, but it also has some negative aspects as well, mostly relating to the story and pacing. Some also argue that it is missing some key features as well, but the missing features are relatively minor to me.

It actually infuriates me that most people will only remember this game because of the character animations. People need to grow up,lol.

Dead or Alive suffers this same fate. Take away the jiggle gimmick, and it's actually a really good fighting game series. (I'm not counting the beach stuff. That's just lame fanservice). Sure Dead or Alive 5 was overshadowed by Tekken Tag 2 or P4: Arena, but it's a hoot to play.

And I wonder if Dragon's Crown has a sense of humor about the "jiggle." Like in Code of Princess, Solange traipses around wearing less than a bikini (though she insists it's a designer royal gown *chortle*) and the running gag throughout is people telling her she's dressed like a hoochie or chiding her to put some clothes on.

Dragon's Crown is not the first nor will it be the last to get this kind of attention, but it just happens to be the current lightning rod of righteous indignation. And it IS a good game under the "gimmick." But it's like this: Let's take two identical rock bands, same level of musical talent, same level of songwriting, same everything. Only difference is that one band is a plain-clothes band that doesn't have a lot of presence and the other is very visual: fog, lights, stage outfits... which one will get more publicity? Which one will be remembered?

Logged

"I think I'm losing it. I'm pulling out my hair trying to figure out what couch defines me as a person. This is freaking madness. This is hopeless. This... my perfect little habitat here, and I still don't even know who I am." - from Dow Jones and the Temple of Doom by Burnt By The Sun